Wireless local area networks (WLANs) are methods of communicating between nodes in a network within a limited area via a wireless link. Network nodes may include clients such as mobile telephone devices or laptop computers and access points such as routers or gateways. In some cases, access points provide access to an additional network such as the internet or a private network to the clients.
The wireless link allows clients to communicate with the additional network, via the access point, without being physically connected to the access point via a communication cable. However, a wireless link is an inherently limited communication medium. All nodes communicating via the wireless link may interfere with one another.